Link Love: How to Be Green Without Breaking Your Wallet

When we moved back to the States a few months ago, I delighted in websites that taught me how to use coupons to get amazing savings at drug stores like CVS and Walgreens.  I quickly stocked up on toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, soap, deodorant, and toilet paper for rock-bottom prices.  I mean, sure it’d be nice to use Tom’s of Maine toothpaste, but since I got the Colgate Total for free, I figured that was even nicer.

But since my stockpile has grown nice and big, I’ve started to have a change of conscience (pang of guilt).  I do still love the thrill of chasing a bargain, but I want to be certain that the products I’m bringing into my home are worth their price — even when that price is free.

So, in the spirit of being both green and frugal, I’m bringing you some link love to the best coupons, deals and shopping suggestions I’ve seen.  (I should note that the number one way to be thrifty and green is to do without or to do with less. But even Compact people agree that there are some things — food, toiletries, medicines — that you really and truly do need. This list is about where to look when you really do *need* something!)

• The Whole Foods Grocery Store has a $5 off $25 coupon out right now, good until October 22.  This is like the motherload for couponers, as you can combine this with manufacturer coupons to get some great deals.  Go to the Whole Deal to download your PDF copy of the coupon. (That link also has more suggestions for saving money at Whole Foods.)

• The Money Saving Mom (aka the couponing goddess) had a great guest post this week from Project Organic Eating, all about how to save money on organic food.  I’ve already signed up for the three newsletters she recommends and am looking forward to my cache of coupons and easy seasonal recipes.  Be sure to click over to the POE blog as well, as owner Patricia Wooster has tons of money-saving posts designed for green living families.

• Organic Mania had a recap post this week of some of her best money-saving tips for eating organic and living green. I especially appreciated her post on the cheapest places to get organic milk.  I’ve been getting the Costco hormone-free label, which at $2.67/gallon is an incredible deal.

• Five Tips on Shopping the Farmer’s Markets from Eat Drink Better. Reading this post reminded me of a conversation I had with a new friend earlier this week.  She told me that she bought three peppers for $1.00 at our a local produce market.  Three peppers. For one dollar! I was floored.  I’m definitely checking it out next week.  The market is 17 miles round-trip, but with the price of gas dipping below $2.50/gallon (can you believe that?) it’s more than worth the drive! Especially if I “squirrel away my winter booty” like Eat Drink Better’s post suggests!

• And finally, here are 11 Ways to Save Money on Organic Food from the Tree Hugging Family. The post is a bit old in blogosphere terms (it’s from May), but her is advice is still totally current.  Except, of course, for her first tip, which is not to shop at Whole Foods.  I’m gonna say that given the $5 off coupon, you can skip that advice, at least from now through October 22.

As for shopping at stores like CVS and Walgreens, there are still green deals to be found.  The other day, for example, I stopped by Walgreens and picked up six boxes of Kashi’s Autumn Harvest squares, a favorite of both my husband and my sons.  Walgreens is running a 2/$5 special, with an added bonus that if you bought $15 worth of Kashi products, you would get a $5 register reward (which is like a $5 gift certificate to use the next time you shop at Walgreens.)

Even without coupons, I got six boxes of premium organic cereal for $1.67/box. If your family loves Kashi as much as we do, you can still stock up at Walgreens until Saturday night.  And, if you haven’t already used them, be sure to sign up at the Kashi website to download $6 worth of coupons. Combine these with the Walgreens sale prices and you can pick up six boxes of organic cereal for $.67/each!